Flint mounting for lighters



Aug. 2, 1955 R. w. BEATTlE FLINT MOUNTING FOR LIGHTERS Filed Nov. 4, 1950 INVENTOR. ROBERT W .BEA T775 United States Patent O FLINT MOUNTING FOR LIGHTERS Robert W. Beattie, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Beattie Jet Products Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 4, 1950, Serial No. 194,108

1 Claim. (Cl. 67--7.1)

This invention relates to lighters and is particularly concerned with the mounting of the operable flint and storage of spare ilints employed in the same.

In addition to consuming fuel, the common cigarette lighter on the market today uses up the lints employed for creating the sparking at a rather rapid rate. Little has been done, however, to improve the capability of lighters for carrying spare Hints, save in rather expensive additions to the lighter construction. Such additions as have been suggested also reduce the space in the fuel container otherwise available for fuel storage.

The wearing down of the flint does not manifest itself as readily as the diminishing of the fuel supply, and even to those who use lighters to a considerable extent, does not suggest periodic replacement, like the daily, or other periodic, refueling of the lighter. Thus lighters often become ineffective due to the wearing out of the flint and the user finds himself without any readily available iiint for replacement purposes.

The construction of the instant invention overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior art constructions, while preserving the desirable features of the prior art constructions to the fullest extent possible. Instead of adding any element to the lighter construction, the invention comprehends economical modification of the existing type of construction which makes no provision for flint storage. Thus, little if any additional expense is involved over such construction, and fuel capacity is increased over that of prior constructions which provide additional facilities for the storage of replacement ilints within the fuel compartment. In addition, the invention construction causes very little reduction of the fuel capacity of lighters which make no provision whatsoever for the storage of replacement flints Within the fuel compartment.

It is accordingly the principal object of the invention to provide for the storage of replacement ints within the fuel compartment of a lighter without noticeably reducing the fuel capacity thereof.

Another object is to provide for such storage without adding any additional elements to the lighter.

Still another object is to provide for such storage merely by the modification of existing lighter construction.

A further object is to provide for the storage of replacement ints in a lighter in such a manner that the user has ready access thereto, and can readily see how to make the replacement.

A still further object is to provide for the storage of replacement ilints in a lighter in such a manner that access is had to such flints by the same action as is required in removing a used actuating flint.

Further and more detailed objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, proceeds.

In that drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lighter having a portion thereof broken away and shown in section to illustrate the application of the invention to a lighter.

2,714,301 Patented Aug. 2, 1955 Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the upper part of the spring and storage housing of the lighter as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder for the active iiint as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is fragmentary perspective view of the flint holder of Figure 3, showing the same applied to the end of a flint spring.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of an active flint holder as applied to the upper end of a flint spring.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a further modiiication of active int support.

Figure 8 is a top plan View of the flint support of Figure 7 per se.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section of the lower right hand corner of a lighter, as viewed in Figure 1, showing a modified construction for the storing of ilints within the Hint spring, and

Figure l0 is a view similar to Figure 9 of a further modified form of flint storage.

The lighter generally shown at 1 in Figure l has a double shelled casing for the fuel compartment 2, the upper part of the casing including a top wall 3, and a side wall 4, leaving the bottom open. That bottom is closed by an overlying mated shell having a side wall 5 slidably, but snugly, engaged with the side wall 4, and providing a closing bottom 6.

lf desired any common form of housing, as shown at 7, could be employed on the top wall 3` for covering and uncovering the free end of a suitable wick. Such wick would extend down into the fuel compartment 2, which compartment would normally be filled with some suitable absorbent material such as cotton for the retention of the fuel.

in order to produce the spark to ignite the fuel presented by the wick, the common lighter provides a striking Wheel, here shown at 8, for engagement with the int, or other pyrophoric material, at a position such as 9. In the mounting of the active flint 10, however, and in the manner in which additional flints are :stored within the lighter this disclosure departs from the conventional and presents novel and simplified aspects. While the term flint is used herein to denote the pyrophoric element, it is to be understood that such designation is for the sake of convenience and that the term is intended to designate any suitable pyrophoric material.

The flint elements used in providing the spark for the usual cigarette, or cigar, lighters are used up fairly rapidly in the operation of lighters. Most lighters are made so that the flint can be readily replaced, but less attention has been given to facilities for storing spare ilints in or on the lighter, so that a replacement can be made when needed. Facilities heretofore provided for this purpose have been in the nature of additional containers within the fuel compartment of the lighter. These have not only added to the expense of constructing the lighter, but have also taken up a portion of the fuel space in the fuel compartment. Thus, a portion of the fuel space in such lighters is lost and most lighters carry little enough fuel as it is.

In addition, the provision of separate flint storage containers, or holders, within a lighter makes it necessary to open one container to obtain the spare flint in addition to removing the closing screw for the flint spring tube, to drop out the spring and the worn out active flint in order to replace that flint by a new one. All of this takes time and the handling of minute parts, which some people find difficult whether they lose them or not. This invention, on the contrary, not only reduces the elements required in a lighter to enable such flint replacement to be made, but also saves time and effort. This it does by eliminating one-half of the steps that need to be taken t replace the flint. The invention provides such facility without reducing the fuel storage capacity of the lighter to more than a minor degree, while, at the same time, enabling the storage of a substantial quantity of replacement flint material within the lighter.

Specifically the invention achieves these ends by slightly increasing the diameter of the tube 11 which contains the iiint spring 12 from that of prior conventional constructions and by similarly increasing the diameter of the spring 12. This enables replacement flints 13 of normal suitable diameter to be slid within and stored therein without effecting the action of the spring. The conversion is completed by providing a suitable supporting element on or adjacent the upper end of the spring 12 for receiving the active int in actuating position.

The preferred form of supporting element, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, consists of a stud-like member having a stem portion 14 slidably received within the spring 12 and a concentric head 15 of sufficiently greater diameter than the stern 14 to provide an annular shoulder 16 beneath the head to lie on the upper end of the spring 12. This seating is shown at 17 in Figure 2.

On its upper side the head 15 is recessed concentrically at 18 for snugly receiving a small portion 19 of the lower end of the active flint 10. The head 15 is of suitable diameter to slide freely within the bore 20 of the tube 11 without appreciable side play. Thus, the lower end of the flint 10 is accurately aligned with the striking Wheel S and is maintained in such alignment as it rides up and down through the action of the surface of the Wheel and the counteraction of the spring 12. The tube 11 extends up to closely adjacent the wheel 8, and the outer end of it, 21, is closed in to provide a concentric restricted opening 22 for the slidable reception of the body of the int 10. The surface 22 cooperates with the seat 18 to assure that the iiint is maintained in proper alignment with the surface of the wheel 8.

From the foregoing it is believed to be apparent how the construction of the invention attains its objectives. In the iirst place, the tube 11 need only be slightly larger than the conventional int spring tube and the spring 12 need only be slightly enlarged to enable spare flints of suitable size to be stored therein. The stud member at the head of the spring replaces the common backing up member for the flint without adding any element, while the upper end of the tube 11 is preferably flared inwardly suciently to serve as a guide for the flint. Even when a new flint is in place, the mounting stud therefor is far enough up in the int tube to allow adequate space for the storing of more replacement flints than is the case with respect to most separate storage compartments in the prior art. The replacement Hints 13, being slidably received within the spring 12, in no way interfere with the action of the spring.

To replace a iiint, all one needs to do is to remove the screw 23 (Figure l) at the bottom end of the tube 11, let the iiints 13 and the spring 12, as well as the stud at the head of the spring and the used flint 10, drop out, as would normally be done. Then, one of the flints 13 is placed in the socket 18, the stud and spring are reassembled in the tube and the screw 23 is replaced.

The modification shown in Figures 5 and 6 employs a cup-like element 25 in place of the stud of Figures 2 and 4. In other respects, however, the arrangement is the same as that just described. The cup-like element has a bottom 26 and a side wall 27 so dimensioned as to form a suitable recess 28 for the reception of the lower end of the flint, like the recess 18 of the Figure 2 form.

At opposite sides of its open mouth, the cup 25 carries a pair of outwardly extending tabs 29. These, as shown in Figure 6, are secured to the upper turn 31 of the flint spring 30, which is normally finished oif in a single plane.

Cil

To do so, the tabs 29 are curved downwardly and inwardly to lie around the upper turn 31. The outer surfaces of the tabs 29 ride up and down within the tube 11, and the securement of the cup to the end of the spring precludes any tilting of the bottom of the flint. Here again, the flint spring tube employed, such as that shown at 11, is turned inwardly at its upper end to additionally guide the flint.

The further modification of Figure 8 employs a int seating plate 35 of substantially the same diameter as the exterior of the llint and of the interior of the spring coil. This plate is also provided with a pair of tabs, such as 36 and 37, for securing the same to a spring. Here, however, as shown in Figure 7, the plate 35 is set down in the spring far enough to leave about a turn of the spring, as shown at 39, extending up above the upper surface of the plate 35. In this arrangement the ilint 4t), received within the upper end of the spring, seats on the plate 35 and is confined sidewise by the upwardly extending turn 39, of the spring, rather than by the wall of a recess as in the forms heretofore described. By seating on the plate 35, the flint 40 cannot go any further down into the spring 41 than the level of that plate.

In order to seat the plate at right angles with respect to the spring 41, and the tube 42, the tab 36 is offset downwardly at 43, while the tab 37 is offset upwardly at 44 to compensate for the difference in height between the opposite ends of a turn of the spring 41. The tabs 36 and 37 are crimped over the spring in order to hold the plate 35 in predetermined position. Furthermore, the outer surfaces of the tabs 36 and 37 slide on the inner surface of the tube 42 which also guides them. Like the tabs 29, the tabs 36 and 37 are Wide enough to substantially preclude any tilting of the plate 35. As in the previous forms, the upper end of the tube 42 is turned inwardly to furnish a sliding seat for the side of the int. This construction provides about the maximum height possible within the spring for the storage of spare iiints, such as 45.

A modied manner of housing spare flints within the flint spring is shown in Figure 9. Here the iluid chamber has a cap-type base 51, rather than a shell, as in Figure 1, such base being secured in place by means of a set screw 52. The screw 52 seats in a depression 53 in the base 51, extends through an aperture therein and threadedly engages a web 54 extending across between the opposite sides of the housing 5t). A layer of gasket material 55 overlies the inner face of the base 51 to seal the various openings where leakage might otherwise occur.

In this construction a cylindrical container 56 is provided for carrying the spare Hints 57. This container has one of its ends suitably secured at 58 to the inner face of the base 51, extends through the layer 55 and has its other end closed by a cylindrical cap 59. The cap 59 has a hand tight t on the outer surface of the container 56 and thus may be removed and applied at will. The container 56 and the cap 59 will, of course, be formed of metal as thin as practicable, since they are housed within the nt spring 60.

In this instance, the flint spring tube 61 is devoid of a closure screw. Instead, its bottom end is closed by leakproof seating engagement at 62 with the gasket 55. Thus, when the screw 52 is removed and the base 1 is taken olf, the cylindrical housing 56 will be retracted from the spring 60. The spring will be allowed to fallV out, as will the stud, or other int support, and the worn out int. All one needs to do is to remove a flint, such as 57, from the housing 56, reassemble the elements with the new flint in place, apply the base 51 and tighten up the screw 52.

In the Figure l0 moditication, the fluid chamber construction reverts to that shown in Figure l, the housing being closed by means of the inner and outer shells 4 and 5. To house the same size flints as in the form of Figures 1-4, the tube 65 and the spring 66 would be slightly larger than required in that form, since here the flints are housed in a cartridge 67. This cartridge in turn is housed within the spring 66. It consists of a cylindrical container having a sliding t cover 68. As in the Figure 1 form, the tube 65 is closed at its bottom end by a screw 69.

Either of the ilint housing arrangements of Figures 9 and 10 can be used with flint mounting constructions as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 8. Proper dirnensioning of the various parts is the controlling factor.

As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. It is accordingly intended that all matter contained in the above de scription, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as neu and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1n lighter construction, an elongated tubular member, the upper end of said tubular member being flanged directly inwardly to form a restricted opening therethrough concentric with the axis of said tubular member, a helical int actuating spring within said tubular member and one-piece flint mounting member within said tubular member and engaged with the upper end of said spring, said inwardly anged end of said tubular member forming a stop to limit the upward movement of said llint mounting member, said int mounting member being formed with an enlarged head overlying said upper end of said spring and with a reduced stud extending downwardly therefrom, said reduced stud lying within the coils of said spring adjacent said upper end thereof and having a diameter slightly less than that of the interior diameter of the coils of said spring, said enlarged head being recessed downwardly from the upper face thereof into a circular recess having substantially the same diameter as the diameter of said stud and of said restricted opening, the base of said recess lying .in a plane closely adjacent the plane of the end of said spring, the exterior of said head being formed for slidable movement within said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,505 Rogers Sept. 8, 1931 2,211,500 Gabritsch Aug. 13, 1940 2,433,707 Phillips Dec. 30, 1947 2,469,163 Gilmore May 3, 1949 2,502,533 Quercia et al. Apr. 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 278,332 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1927 279,163 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1927 626,585 Great Britain July 18, 1949 

